The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the art of turbomachines and, more particularly, to a near flow path seal for a turbomachine.
Turbomachines include a casing that houses a turbine. The turbine includes a plurality of blades or buckets that extend along a gas path. The buckets are supported by a number of turbine rotors that define a plurality of turbine stages. A combustor assembly generates hot gases that are passed through a transition piece toward the plurality of turbine stages. In addition to hot gases from the combustor assembly, gases at a lower temperature flow from a compressor toward a wheelspace of the turbine. The lower temperature gases provide cooling for the rotors as well as other internal components of the turbine. In order to prevent hot gases from entering the wheelspace, the turbine includes near flow path seals that are arranged between adjacent rotors. The near flow path seals are configured to fit closely adjacent the rotors or buckets to reduce leakage from the gas path into the wheelspace.